1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Prius advertising (?????)

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Sufferin' Prius Envy, Sep 3, 2004.

  1. Sufferin' Prius Envy

    Sufferin' Prius Envy Platinum Member

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2004
    3,998
    17
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Went to the California State Fair today. BOY is Maroon 5 popular . . . could have been the Beatles on stage with that crowd!!!

    I expected to see a Prii in the Toyota Zone. NOPE, nada! I was hoping to relive my first ‘04 Prii sighting from last year’s state fair!

    I asked the Toyota Dude. He said, “Why bother, we sell enough of them without advertising.â€

    WHAT!!!! There was certainly plenty of room. I told him I thought that was a mistake. “Why wouldn’t Toyota want to advertise the Prius . . . especially this year . . . Car Of The Year . . . See What We Make . . . Want One? . . . Get In Line!!â€

    He did say that they did have Prius brochures . . . but they were all gone . . . “they were quite popular.†WELL DUHHHHHHHH!

    Is Toyota doing ANY Prius advertising where you live?
     
  2. djfrugal

    djfrugal New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2004
    26
    0
    0
    Location:
    Glendora, CA
    Prius Advertising

    I went to The Cure concert at Home Depot Center in Carson, CA and in the venue there was a Prius on display. Can't imagine why since there isn't enough to go around down here. I am not sure if Toyota was a sponsor of the tour or of the venue. I am guessing the venue.
     
  3. KathyY

    KathyY Member

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2003
    109
    0
    0
    Location:
    Maryland
    There has been a blue Prius on display in the Arundel Mills Mall here. It has been there at least 6 months and there always seems to be someone looking at it. The mall has each section "sponsored" by a different company and Toyota is one of the sponsors. My husband was surprised that the Prius was still there--he said with all the waiting lists they could easily sell it. My granddaughter likes seeing "Grandma's" car there.
     
  4. bookrats

    bookrats New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2004
    2,843
    2
    0
    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    Individual dealers around here definitely don't display Prii in their ads; I'm assuming this is because they don't have any.

    One or two have Prius pictures on their Web Sites, but I think they're using graphics they were handed from Toyota.

    Frankly, I can sympathize with them: why advertise to "come in and look at a Prius" if (a) you don't have any to sell and (B) don't have one to test drive?
     
  5. bruceha_2000

    bruceha_2000 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2004
    3,054
    301
    19
    Location:
    Northwest VT
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    Yep, they don't need to spend advertizing money to drum up business until the wait lists disappear.
     
  6. Sufferin' Prius Envy

    Sufferin' Prius Envy Platinum Member

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2004
    3,998
    17
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    There is a difference between advertising and marketing. And in this aspect Toyota is failing miserably in it’s overall marketing. There is still a great deal of ignorance and misconception regarding the Prius. “Where do you plug it in�

    Just today, one of my wife’s coworkers said, “I can’t believe you are buying a Prius . . . my husband says that you need to constantly change the batteries and they are really expensive.â€

    I feel that not including a Prii in the mix at the California State Fair was a blunder. They could have had a sign touting “Car Of The Year . . . Come learn why there is a waiting list and why buyers are willing to wait months for this car!!!†Hundreds of thousands of people would have seen the car . . . all for the cost of . . . well, nothing!
     
  7. InTheWASide

    InTheWASide New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 20, 2004
    252
    0
    0
    Location:
    Everett, WA
    My faves I've personally experienced are:

    1) If it's electric what happens when it rains?
    and
    2) You're moving to Seattle? How will the solar panels work out there?
     
  8. kenmac

    kenmac New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2004
    149
    0
    0
    Location:
    Perth, Western Australia
    In Oz Toyota were advertisng Prius late 2003, but haven't seen any until this week.
    I saw two ads this week, on different channels.
    In Perth we receive three Prius deliveries per month, and the waiting time was about 3 months when I ordered (January) - not sure what it is now.
    Obviously they don't need to advertise to sell this car, but by holding back they are not helping in promoting the concept - most people that I talk to are completely oblivious to the existence of hybrid cars.
    Toyota scored a coup here - they should ensure that the message gets out to the general public!

    kenmac
     
  9. V8Cobrakid

    V8Cobrakid Green Handyman

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2004
    3,790
    152
    0
    Location:
    Park View, Los Angeles, CA. U.S.A
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    the only time i've seen the Prius in any kind of advertisement was on TV... although the did speed up the frame rate which the prius was in. The newer commercial for toyota stating they all get good gas mileage. The third scene in ( or so ) the prius gets a full screen shot and zooms across a lake front. It seems double speed. However, i have not seen this commercial in a couple weeks.
     
  10. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2004
    15,140
    611
    0
    Location:
    South Puget Sound, WA
    Vehicle:
    2013 Nissan LEAF
    Model:
    Persona
    i agree that i run into people who have pretty weird ideas about the Prius.

    one was sure that i would get electrocuted if i was in an accident when it was raining.

    another was convinced that she could beat me in a race on a ten speed.

    another was sure the batteries would have to be replaced yearly. she "got" this info from her dad who had a hybrid (or something) years ago and had nothing but problems with it. she said she was surprised that they still "made that junk"

    and no one believes that i can carry 4 people very comfortably.
     
  11. norman

    norman New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 21, 2004
    77
    0
    0
    Location:
    Australia
    Oh dear, I remember how badly the Commodore Amiga was marketed so many years ago. Please Toyota, don't make the same mistakes.
     
  12. BobA

    BobA New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2004
    731
    2
    0
    Location:
    Denver CO
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    gee-ha...we just got into Gillette Wyoming..'the land of BIG pickups'.. not sure if there is a Toyota dealer in town...pretty sure we're the ONLY Prius in town...we have sure gotten a lot of looks.. came to the kid's house, so haven't had any parking lot Q&A's.. spending the weekend..so am sure we will become the point of conversation at one time or another... saw no Prii on our way here from Denver... did have an Insight come along side the driver hung on our 1/4 panel for a while then came along side, waved and passed us... guess it was a case of ' Prius Envy'.. :) this was our longest trip..360 miles and the average is 49 mpg... bucked a headwind last 70 miles... flags out at a ranch led me to think the wind was about 15mpg... we set the cruise at 65 and 70 for most of the trip....speed limit in Colorado and Wyoming is 75.. from Douglas Wyoming to Gillette it's 65.. we past our usual gas stop and said that they'd probably have to close as we didn't stop as we always have in the past with the 15mpg truck... LIFE IS GOOD... :lol:
    More later....Bob
     
  13. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2004
    15,140
    611
    0
    Location:
    South Puget Sound, WA
    Vehicle:
    2013 Nissan LEAF
    Model:
    Persona
    oh great!! now we have to deal with remote gas station owners going out of business after we are not forced to stop and pay the 15 cent a gallon premium for their gas.
     
  14. Jerry P

    Jerry P Member

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2003
    322
    18
    0
    Location:
    Waterford, PA
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius
    Model:
    XLE AWD-e
    Although they don't advertise the Prius, it gets so much press that they don't really need to until they begin sitting on the lots. 'Sierra', the mag put out by the Sierra Club, of which I am a proud member, features a picture of a Prius doing something every month. This month it was shown next to the Republican 18-wheeler used to get out the vote. 'Heidi the Hybrid' is nicely decorated and said to run circles around the GOP behemoth.